juststeverogers | Evening of the First Night--- for heirtothearcane and westfallcorndog

"He's the one who'll regret it if he tries too hard to work out, anyway." Steve agrees with a grin. Why, Viatorus, look at yourself. You look so handsome with a smile on your face. You should do it more often. This is what other people see in you clearly.

"I'll be quick." Steve assures his friend, expression turning respectful once more. "The more we talk about this the more tired I'm getting." He tries to politely stifle a yawn. "Talk about one heck of a long day, right?"

So much has happened, and Steve still doesn't understand most of it. But Viatorus isn't screaming anymore, and Harrow isn't crying so Steve guesses he can count that as a victory in his book. What about himself? The unease he's felt since this all started hasn't gone away. He's afraid as much for the others as he is for himself. But he doesn't want to show it. Desperately he wants to look calm and collected. He doesn't want to worry the others.

But at the same time, Steve can't help but keep thinking...he wants to go home. He wants his life to be normal again more than ever. He's scared of being someone else, of seeing his friends' lives altered like this. And mostly, he's scared because he doesn't know what to do to help.

Sitting here inwardly cowering won't get them anywhere though, so Steve gives Harrow a smile.

"You go first. Trust me, out of the two of us, you'll want the hot water more. Especially if you're not used to feeling cold or warm."

Viatorus made a joke! At someone else's expense! This is not a drill!

Harrow instantly bark-laughs, then devolves into a coughing fit. He's totally smiling, though. Pain is fleeting, mean jokes are eternal. His natural response here would be to flip them off and walk to the bathroom laughing, but he knows that V's still getting used to all this putdown humor, so he goes easy. He dusts himself off and stands with a little groan. When he's on his feet he poses heroically with hands on hips, feet shoulder width apart, chin up. And then his heroic declaration:

"Time for my mothafuckin' bubble bath."

Such language! He might have to eat some soap while he's in there. But with that he's off to figure out where V's bathroom is and hog it for the next millennium. The chance of Steve getting a shower in V's body tonight wanes with every passing minute.

Edited (harrow you can't take a bubblebath in a shower. i mean you can try but good luck cleaning the mess) 2016-01-24 19:59 (UTC)

The worst part was, he didn't mean to. He had been saying that sincerely, oblivious that the jabs they were taking at each other and themselves were in jest. Still. He's glad Harrowheart seems happy.

"It's just a shower..." Viatorus reminds him absently, then he'll point out vague directions.

The bathroom itself is nice, clean and large for an apartment with warm fluffy towels just waiting to be used. Enjoy, Harrowheart.

With Harrowheart gone, Viatorus assured Steve, "There will be plenty of hot water for both of you, don't worry." He hesitates then, unsure what to say next. "Maybe I should show you where you're going to sleep?"

Steve watches Harrowheart leave and tries to hold his smile. It falters slightly, but he's good at controlling emotions that aren't anger. Being afraid and uncomfortable won't help them, he reminds himself over and over. It does no good to show fear.

"I wasn't worried." He turns back to Viatorus and nods. "For the best, yes. Unless you'd like me to stay awake with you and keep you company? Harrow I suspect will fall asleep as soon as he's able to, after so long being without. I can at least try to give you some company...."

He doesn't want to insist in case Viatorus just wants to be alone.

Viatorus shakes his head and shrugs. "My body is used to sleeping a lot. You should probably get some rest."

"My room is this way." He leads Steve into a large bedroom with a four poster bed dominating the area. There is a long wardrobe, a couple of bookcases, and a chair set up by a table and lamp. It's all pristine and inviting. The bed is soft, warm, utterly luxurious... and anyone who lays down on it will see the intricate circle and symbols making up an embossed ward on the canopy of the bed.

While Steve looks around, Viatorus roots out some pyjamas and clean underwear and sets them out.

Seve can't help the way his eyes widen and his jaw drops for a moment when they go into Viatorus' room. He regains his composure quickly as soon as he catches himself, but he's completely blown away by this. It makes sense to the rational part of his mind that a Dream Magi would do most of his conjuring while asleep, but to the small man growing up in the Great Depression all of this points to an obscene amount of wealth and decadence that makes him squirm slightly.

"It's...it's really nice." He almost insists he can't take Viatorus' bed from him until he remembers that Harrows body doesn't need to sleep. Still, he just nods. "It's large enough that Harrow and I can share it. That way if he has an attack I'm there to help him..."

If Viatorus knew, he'd be terribly confused as to why Steve was so impressed. He knows his wealth has set his life appart from many of his new friends in the Nexus, but... this seems fairly humble to him. He smiles slightly at Steve's compliment though. It's kind of him.

"There's another bedroom. He can have that if he wants to, but... you two can sort that out between yourselves. I'll make you some of my tea for you to drink before you go to sleep..." He hesitates, and then asks, "Can I do anything to help? If... If Harrowheart has an attack?"

That's right. Steve might suddenly be a rather hard sleeper in Viatorus' body, especially if he has to drink special magic tea. Steve nods and sits on the side of the bed to demonstrate.

"Get him upright into a sitting position, leaning slightly forward if he doesn't fight you. He should have the inhaler I got for him. He needs to depress it while he breathes in as deep as he can. Hold it for a few seconds, then slowly exhale. You might have to talk him through it if he's panicking though. Otherwise..." Steve reaches back with one lanky arm and indicates between his shoulder blades. "You can whack him on the back a few times to clear his airways enough if he can't inhale to use the medicine."

Viatorus nods as he listens, taking in every detail and rubbing his bound wrists as he does so. It seems simple enough... but it also seems like a lot of responsibility to deal with.

"I can remember that..." He tries to relax and not look so serious as he offers, "You can rest easy on your own if you like. I can keep an eye on him, and get you if there's a problem. I think you both need to grab as much sleep as you can."

"Whatever makes Harrow most comfortable would be best. I really don't mind." Steve shrugs his shoulders and gets back up. He is getting tired remarkably quickly, but tries to ignore it for the time being. He still needs to clean himself up, after all.

"It shouldn't be an issue. I don't get attacks that frequently, but being afraid of them is natural, especially for Harrow." Standing makes it better. He thought he'd pass out on the spot when he was sitting in the bed. It's like a siren calling for him to lay down. just for a minute. Steve shakes his head.

"What will you do? I'd hate to leave you be all night..."

Edited (Shift keyyyyyy!!!) 2016-01-26 00:57 (UTC)

"It's still good to know what to do," Viatorus points out. "Knowledge reassures all of us. Gives us... some control over this. Besides, we need to help each other, like you said."

The question gets a shrug and some more gentle fidgeting. "I'm not sure. If I can't sleep I guess... I guess I'll do some reading. See if I can find anything that might help us. When else will I get to read uninterrupted like this? I should probably take advantage of it."

"You're right." Steve nods along, offering Viatorus a faint smile. "I'd probably do the same in your situation, eheh. If you have to force yourself to wake up form sleep, that sounds kind of scary. I'd rather read or sketch or the like."

Sounds too much like falling and being unable to get back up for Steve's comfort. Although...

"Speaking of sketching, I almost wonder if they'd look more like your style if I tried to draw. Obviously I have my style in my head, but your hands would have the muscle memory from your sketches, not mine. Oh wow. That sounds really interesting...." Steve is much too tired to worry about such things tonight, but it is a quesiton that is going to stick with him.

Harrow IS all done getting cleans! He follows the others' voices into the bedroom and proudly arrives in a pair of Steve's jamjams looking positively pleased. His skin is still slightly red from the heat of the shower, but other than his hair – which he's slicked back, making him look decidedly less Steve-like – he's dry.

"Showers are good and cool and I like 'em," he decides with total confidence. And then, before anyone else gets a say in what happens next he hurries over to the bed and takes a flying leap into it, where he lays sprawled out like a starfish. Slooowly he sinks into the comfortable bed, and he smiles as it takes him.

"This is swanky as hell. I get to sleep here, right?"

It's a nice change from all of this anxiety to see Steve perk up at the thought of something. Viatorus smiles and suggests, "If we have to go home tomorrow I'll show you where I keep my old art supplies there. You can take some time to try things out while I look through old journals."

No sooner is that said, Harrrowheart arrives and jumps on the bet, prompting a startled laugh from Viatorus. "A-Actually, there's another bedroom if you'd like it. But Steve has to sleep here." He points up at the engraving on the wooden canopy. "He has to sleep under that."

"I don't mind sharing Harrow. The bed's big enough for two." Steve smiles faintly and waves before he too takes a turn for the bathroom, carrying the pajamas Viatorus had laid out for him. True to his word, Steve does his best to be as quick as he can in taking care of his hygiene needs. It's really for the best that there is no tub because he would almost certainly fall asleep in it.

The shower enables him to be prompt and more importantly, to stay awake. Then its just the matter of putting on the pajamas and toweling off V's thick hair as best as he can before he wanders out again.

Something about tea and then bed. Is the tea necessary? Steve doesn't need any help falling asleep. He could probably do that standing up at this point. It takes him a moment to remember where he needs to go but he'll head back into the bedroom.

"All done..."

When Steve leaves, Harrow looks up at what V motioned to. Runes above the bed! Harrow's very first instinct is to roll off the bed, and he finds it's surprisingly easy to land on his feet when his legs aren't ten miles long. He's able to escape, though, and so they must not have been runes to trap intruders. Sensing that there isn't any danger he very carefully crawls back into the bed and looks up at the carvings once more.

"What exactly do they do?"

He smiles to see Steve return and pats the bed. Join your body in the boudoir, Steve.

"And Steve, I promise I won't make it weird. I had to share a bed a whole lot smaller than this growin' up, I know how it goes. No stealin' blankets, no talkin' in the middle of the night, and mind your hands."

The reaction surprises Viatorus but other than blinking a little at the rolling away, he doesn't react much. It does take him a second to answer though. "It's protective. It keeps things out."

Steve gets a smile and Viatorus nods, rubbing at his wrists again. "I'll go and make your tea." Then he looks to Harrowheart. "Would you like anything? Tea? Milk? Orange juice?"

"I wasn't worried." Steve's reply is pleasant but drowsy. He nods politely at Viatorus's offer of the tea and then sits down on the bed. Harrowheart gets a sidelong glance from Steve, and then a faint smile. "I'll be here in case anything happens. You've got your inhaler I packed for you?" He's sure the other does so he doesn't worry much.

The bed is remarkably comfy. Maybe. Yeah Steve stretches out a bit. That's better. He'll just...just rest his eyes until Viatorus comes back.

Shouldn't be but...a...minute....

To the question of his inhaler Harrow grunts in the affirmative. It's someplace within arm's reach... if anyone can summon the will to move in this bed, that is. Is it only so comfortable because it's been so long since his body needed sleep? Could there really be this much of a difference between a good bed and everything he's ever known? Maybe Steve's body just really likes sleep.

It's scary to think about, though, despite all of the excitement. Sleeping is a little bit like dying. What if he dreams? What if they're unpleasant? As his eyelids begin to droop the image of the rune atop the bed slowly fades into darkness. It's there to protect from bad things. That means bad dreams. That means it's safe to sleep.

Sleep. And when he wakes up, all of this will be over...

The incredibly comfy bed does have something to do with the fine bedclothes, perfect mattress and specially chosen pillows. No expense is spared for the Dreamwalker's bed. Who else knows the value of a good night's rest more? And, of course, it's all perfectly tailored to bring sweet and numerous dreams... Even though he never does any dreaming there.

Viatorus meanwhile, is pottering about the kitchen. When he does make the cup of tea he just about finishes when a thought interrupts him. He's pretty sure he saw a magnificent looking book on possession or bodyswapping or something along those lines in the library. If he could grab it, or read through it, it might help them immensely. As long as nobody has taken it out... He glances out the window. Late as it is, the library has no reason to close. Maybe he could just dash out and read through it. Steve and Harrowheart are safe here, and he doesn't have to be long...

He brings the mug in and sets it on the bedside locker, rushing to grab keys for the apartment so that he can lock them in and let himself back inside. "I won't be a minute, I've just remembered something that might help. I'll be as quick as I can. Lyall is there if you need anything. Remember to drink the tea!"

Does he notice that the two of them have fallen asleep? No. Everything is weird in this body. He doesn't understand half the things he's seeing and hearing.

Viatorus' warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Steve is already curled up under the duvet letting darkness wash over him in a gentle wave. There's a sense of drifting in the inky blackness, of things moving and shifting beyond what Steve can see. He's not aware, not at first. Just existing in this sea of the Unconscious feeling the ebb and flow of the collective tide.

It wants to drag him off. Somewhere else--away from here. That is the first sensation Steve has. He doesn't want to do that. It's nice here. As nondescript as here is. He begins wading into shore, enjoying how effortless the decision seems to have made his movements. His clothes aren't wet in the least, which is good. These old hand me down suits are paper thin under the best of circumstances.

Rather than a beach, Steve finds himself inside almost as soon as he's out of the water. The creaky floors are familiar. Up three flights past Mrs. Nelson's door. He'll have to thank her for allowing him to use her sewing machine later, when they have a little extra after rent. Someone's selling papers outside--Steve can hear them through the window as soon as he lets himself into the apartment. Bucky's not home yet, but somehow Steve doesn't feel like the place is empty.

And sure enough, there's a knock on the door. How long was he waiting? He can't tell, and it hardly matters. It's still bright outside. Steve heads for the door.

"Harrow? It didn't take you long I hope. You ready for that tour I promised you?" It's the most natural thing in the world. He'd been meaning to show Harrow his world, and now's the perfect time to. Harrow's in his own body,a s is Steve, and why wouldn't they be?

Steve's apartment. Of course. The layout isn't the same as he remembers, but it isn't different, foreign. This is Steve's apartment, new and exciting. Though he couldn't remember the exact moment when he set his meeting with Steve he was certain he must have done it. To be greeted at the door like this felt right.

He smiles at the sight of his friend and nods at the offer of the tour, but he doesn't invite himself in. Something tells him he can't see this place until Steve will let him.

It's smaller, much smaller. And everything is done in cream and brown hues. Steve steps aside and pulls Harrow in after a moment.

"Come on, I'll show ya around here first, before we head out. My ma's place was a little bigger, but not much. I couldn't afford it after she passed on." There's hooks up behind the door covered in suit coats and hats, and a narrow hallway that leads to a tiny kitchenette slash bedroom, with an itty bitty bathroom off around the corner. The place is cramped but homey, obviously well lived in. And at the end of the bed, jammed up along the wall next to a dresser is a small writing desk, with a couple of Steve's sketchbooks sitting on it.

"Eh? Not bad for a coupla bachelors doing odd jobs day to day, right?"

Inside of an Earth home. Steve's Earth home. This is an exotic place to be sure, no matter how familiar the setting may seem after some of the things Harrow's seen in the Nexus. He wanders through the dreamscape behind Steve, mindful not to touch anything as he absorbs the memory of this place. What he sees as he looks around brings a soft smile to his face. It is a nice place for two bachelors, he thinks, and though he doesn't appear to open his mouth to say those words Steve ought to be fully aware of this opinion.

He lingers curiously near the sketchbooks but doesn't attempt to touch them, then returns to quietly examining the room. The sight of the bed makes him smile, and though again he doesn't open his mouth he seems to be laughing. Without speaking he thinks aloud "I wanted to make a joke that sharing a bed wouldn't be strange if you imagined it was like back home, but I'd be the Steve and you'd be the Bucky. I didn't realize you only had one bed."

Harrow looks around, suddenly very conscious that someone else does live here. Where is he? Will he arrive?

"Hm? Oh, the bed. It used to be a couple of cots, but it got so damn cold in the winter that we ended up shoving them together anyway. Bucky's mom was getting rid of some old stuff, so we decided it'd be easier to just toss them and put a bed in there." Steve shrugs, easy as can be. With space a premium, it ended up being more efficient that way, and it's not like Steve ever had to worry about bringing a dame home.

The expectation of another person washes over Steve, and he turns to look out the window. It'd be nice if it wasn't...it's not winter outside. The leaves are all shades of yellow and orange. A smile breaks out across Steve's face.

"Come on. It's not far, I'll show you where I go to school and we can see if Buck's done at the factory yet or not."

Evening of the First Night--- for heirtothearcane and westfallcorndog

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You two feel free to tag without me until it's my turn to come back in!

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Harrow all done getting cleans?

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i am SO SORRY for the slow tags. work is killing me this week.

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You two can carry on for a while

Epic Longpost Incoming

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http://static01.nyt.com/images/2012/01/01/realestate/01STREETS2/01STREETS2-popup.jpg

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